Three out of the four major sports leagues, MLB, NFL, NBA and the NHL, have dealt with labor issues in the past year.
A couple of them, the NFL and the NBA, could not agree to a new collective bargaining deal before the season started, and some games were not played.
While a few weeks ago, the MLB hammered out a new deal early because neither the owners nor the league’s players association wanted a repeat of the 1994 strike that canceled the World Series that year.
Also, the NHL’s deal that was signed in 2005, after the 2004-05 season was wiped out, is set to end in September 2012.
Out of the four, the NFL enjoys the most attention and popularity.
The other three are currently fighting for the No. 2 position.
Until after the finals last season, it looked like the NBA was in control of the second position for the first time since Michael Jordan won his sixth title with the Chicago Bulls in the late-1990s.
The quality of the action on the court was back to the level that made the league popular back in the 1980s and 1990s.
Part of the reason of the comeback is a group of superstars that make up today’s game: Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Derrick Rose.
It rivals the collection of Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, and other players that made up that era more than two decades ago.
This year’s playoff ratings were some of the highest ever in recent history, so the league was making strides in bringing back fans that left the sport after Jordan retired.
After the season ended, it was time for the players and owners to try agree to a new contract.
Both sides were far apart on many of the issues, including how to fairly split the profits.
Coming into talks the NBA owners were complaining about the millions and millions of dollars they were losing because of bad contracts with certain players that did not live up to expectations.
As the offseason dragged on with no deal in place, the league knew it might lose those same fans that it worked so hard to bring back.
Both sides ran out of time, before the season started in October forcing games to be canceled.
As the days passed, there was even talk the league might consider forfeiting a season like the NHL did a few seasons ago.
The players union broke up and sued the NBA in an antitrust suit.
Last week, the sides went back to the table, and as of Saturday, it seems a deal has been reached that will start the season on Christmas Day.
Before the NBA finishes wrapping the gifts and sends a present to those fans that have put up with no basketball in the past two months, a lot of other issues have to be resolved between the two groups.
Those issues, which are referred to as the B-List, include the age limit of when a player can be drafted, adding another round in the draft, stronger drug testing, in addition to other matters.
Here is a warning to those that are already making plans to sit in front of the big screen HD TV and enjoy some NBA action during the holiday season: It is not over yet.
Remember, during the NFL lockout, both sides thought they had a new deal in place, but the owners tried to add things to it without the players knowing it.
The players were not happy with it, and the deal almost fell through.
The NBA can not repeat that or it will be in even more trouble with fans.
And unfortunately, some of those might not ever come back. |
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